Group Sues Massachusetts Over Horseshoe Crab Records
The Center for Biological Diversity alleges the state withheld harvest data in violation of the Public Records Law.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Environmental
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The Center for Biological Diversity filed a complaint in Suffolk Superior Court on November 10 accusing the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries of violating the state's Public Records Law. The suit concerns records on horseshoe crab harvesting for 2024 and 2025 that the state partly withheld after a February 10 request.
Why it matters
Horseshoe crab blood harvests have doubled since 2017, with more than 1 million crabs taken for blood each year in the United States, making harvest oversight a matter of public interest. The dispute centers on whether the public can see data that would show how the harvest is distributed across fishers and sexes.
The state released the total number of horseshoe crabs harvested for bait but withheld a breakdown by sex, while the Division of Marine Fisheries cites a 'rule of three' policy requiring data from at least three fishers and three dealers or processors before release. Whether that policy applies to the disputed records remains contested in the lawsuit.
The players
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
The state agency responsible for managing marine fisheries in Massachusetts, including the regulation and harvest data of horseshoe crabs.
Center for Biological Diversity
A nonprofit environmental organization that advocates for endangered species and litigates to enforce public records and environmental laws.
The details
The Division of Marine Fisheries responded to the February 10 request on March 3 by releasing 58 documents and redacting parts of at least 13 others. The withheld material includes data from state reports, harvest permits and horseshoe crab research, and the Center is asking a judge to order its release.
Timeline
Harvest records covered by the request span 2024 and 2025.
The public records request was filed February 10.
The state released documents and redacted others on March 3.
The Center filed its complaint in Suffolk Superior Court on November 10.
Big Picture
The dispute tests the boundary between Massachusetts' Public Records Law and statutory protections for fishing-industry reports, which shield individual fishers, vessels and businesses from identification. The outcome could shape how much harvest data about horseshoe crabs becomes publicly available as blood harvests have doubled since 2017.
Residents who fish, sell bait or follow coastal conservation can track whether the court orders release of the withheld harvest breakdowns. Access to those records would determine how much individual anglers and dealers can verify about the horseshoe crab harvest in state waters.
The takeaway
Public access to wildlife harvest data often depends on how agencies interpret confidentiality protections, so the court's ruling on these records may set a precedent for future requests. Readers interested in the issue can watch the Suffolk Superior Court docket for updates.
Further reading
For more on related conservation coverage, see the Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Masslive.
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